


Apples

by TheYesterdayShow



Series: The Poignancy Of Silence [4]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Human, Apples, Asexual Character, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders Needs a Hug, Depression, Developing Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Food as a Metaphor for Love, Fruit, Hurt/Comfort, It's Roman, M/M, Metaphors, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Past Abuse, Relationship Discussions, Shopping, i didn't expect to find that, poignancy of silence au, that was a strangely specific tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:20:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24148066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheYesterdayShow/pseuds/TheYesterdayShow
Summary: The shopping trip started out normal, if a little quiet. They got a third of the way through Dee's mental list before he looked up to see Roman's eyes filling with tears. He immediately dropped the orange he was examining and caressed Roman's cheek, his thumb wiping away the tear that escaped.“C-can we talk?”*takes place in the Poignancy Of SIlence au. You don't have to read any of the precursors to read this!*
Relationships: Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Deceit Sanders
Series: The Poignancy Of Silence [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1553818
Comments: 6
Kudos: 83





	Apples

**Author's Note:**

> One-shot in the Poignancy Of Silence verse! This takes place sometime during part 2, after Roman moves in with Dee but before the renaissance fair.  
> It's a self-indulgent thing I wrote after feeling bad about being ace. Dedicated to my qpp!

It felt like it had been like this their entire lives, even though they'd only been living together for about a month. Dee was accustomed to driving Roman—his maybe-boyfriend?—to his morning class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It was already routine.

This particular Thursday was a bad day, apparently—Dee had barely been able to get Roman to eat something before ushering him out the door in the same clothes he'd worn the previous day, a sure sign that he hadn't gotten much sleep. Now they sat in the car after class, the light drizzle apparently enough to prevent them from driving.

“We need to hit the grocery store on the way home,” Dee murmured, but made no move to put the car into gear.

Roman shifted a little in the passenger seat, his knees pulled up to his chest. Dee smiled fondly at him. They really did need to get going, though, and the rain would likely only get heavier.

“Seatbelt, if you would,” he said, pulling his own over him. Roman sighed through his nose, his head lolling slightly to the side. Eventually, he tugged his seatbelt over himself, letting his feet fall from the seat.

It was a quiet drive—it had been the same way earlier that morning too, Dee focusing on the road and Roman staring into space. Pulling into the parking lot of the grocery store caused Roman to sit up and look around, his brow furrowed slightly, but after a moment he shrugged and schlepped out of the car.

The shopping trip started out normal, if a little quiet. They got a third of the way through Dee's mental list before he looked up to see Roman's eyes filling with tears. He immediately dropped the orange he was examining and caressed Roman's cheek, his thumb wiping away the tear that escaped.

“Darling, can you tell me something good that happened today?”

Roman shrugged as another tear slipped down his face. “C-can we talk?”

Dee made a show of looking around. “In the produce aisle. . . ?”

Roman looked around too; the few people nearby were paying them no mind. “I just . . . what are we?” he asked.

“. . . Humans?”

Roman cracked a smile, but was serious again within seconds. “I—our relationship. What is it?”

“I was hoping I could call you my boyfriend,” Dee said slowly. “Is that all right?”

Roman reached a hand up to the back of his neck, a smile that would have been convincing were his eyes not red plastered across his face. “Yeah, yeah, I guess.” He looked down at the oranges and said, casually, “So you wouldn't mind if I joined you in bed and we . . . you know . . . Woohooed?”

Dee blinked. “Did you—did you just proposition me with a Sims reference?”

Roman blushed. “Y-yeah. Is that—is that okay?”

“If you want to,” Dee said. Where was this coming from? “But I wasn't aware that was the nature of our relationship.”

“Well, if we're . . . boyfriends . . . that's what boyfriends do.”

Ah. Deceit was going to have to tread carefully around this. He looked around the fruit stands before picking up an apple. “Roman, what do you think of this apple?”

Roman glanced at it. “It looks okay, I guess.”

“Would you eat it?”

“No.”

Dee still wasn't quite sure where he was going with this, but it would probably work out. He was great at winging things. He had to help Roman understand. “Right. Why not?”

“I don't like that kind of apple,” Roman answered simply. “Pink Lady—they're too soft and sweet, and sort of grainy, you know?”

“I like Pink Lady Apples,” Dee said, before placing it back in the bin. “But I'm not going to force you to eat them. If I made a pie, I'd get an apple we both like.”

“Is this a metaphor, or are you just making sure we buy something I'll eat?” Roman asked. A smile, a real one this time, flitted onto his face.

“Metaphor, genius.” Dee rolled his eyes. “Anyway, relationships aren't black and white, homo and hetero, paper and plastic. Relationships are weird and undefined, and not everyone likes the same kind.”

“Like . . . apples?”

Dee pointed triumphantly. “Exactly like apples. Now, I would say that we're both pretty gay.”

Roman snorted. “You can say that again.”

“Right. So we're not into straight relationships. Neither of us like Granny Smith apples.”

“They're all right, actu—”

“Mblegh-bher-metaphor!” Dee waved his arms, frowning, but secretly pleased he was making Roman laugh. “But also, you don't like Pink Lady. So that's not our relationship either. However—” by now, Dee had pulled a bag from the roll and was dropping apples into it, “—we both like Honeycrisp. So that's our relationship. That's what we eat.”

Roman frowned. “But you like Pink Lady,” he said, pointing at the fruit in question. “What's stopping you from eating them?”

“Roman, I love Honeycrisp,” Dee said, tying up the bag. “And I much prefer them over Pink Lady.” It was probably time to drop the metaphor. Dee placed the apples in the cart and took Roman's hand.

“Darling, I won't quit our relationship just because you don't want to have sex. I'm not going to leave you, or hurt you, or do anything to violate your consent. I love you, and I love being with you, and it's okay because every relationship's different. Even if,” Dee gestured wildly, Roman's hand still in his. “Even if we weren't romantic, I'd want a relationship with you—friends, queerplatonic, whatever. The thing that makes a relationship amazing is the people involved, not the nature of it.”

Roman looked right into his eyes with a watery smiled, then pulled Dee into a tight hug. His shoulders shook, and Dee massaged his back gently. Then Roman spoke, barely loud enough for Dee to hear.

“My ex—he always got Pink Lady. He—”

“It's okay. I'm here. I'm not leaving you.”

They stood there for a while, Roman crying softly into Dee's shoulder while Dee glared at any passerby who happened to look twice. He knew that Roman was still confused about relationships, and the parameter of theirs, but they had plenty of time to explore it together.

In the meantime, Dee really needed to prepare some metaphors. Coming up with them on the spot was certainly not his strong suit.


End file.
